Waipi'o Lookout Draft Environmental Assessment

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sugarcane before the Rice family moved the house to the land in the late 1970s or early 1980s. The house came from what was called Stable Camp at Kukuihaele. None of the informants _ provided information relative to the existence of traditional cultural properties, or ongoing traditional and customary practices such as gathering, in the immediate vicinity of the Rice Property. Mr. Loo expressed that he was in favor of the proposed County acquisition of the Rice property and the development of a ranger station, especially if it meant educating the tourists and providing additional parking for the lookout area. As no resources or practices of a potential traditional cultural nature (i.e., landform,vegetation, etc.) appear to be present on or near the Rice Property, and there is no evidence of any traditional gathering uses or other cultural practices,the proposed construction and maintenance would not appear to impact any culturally valued resources or cultural practices. In a wider sense, as the purchase would be the first step in developing a base for a program to protect the natural and cultural resources of Waipi`o Valley,as well as for educational and cultural activities, substantial beneficial cultural impact is expected. 3.2.3 Archaeology and Historic Properties Existing Environment, .Impacts and Mitigation Measures A cultural and archaeological study of the subject area was conducted by Rechtman Consulting, Inc., (see Appendix 2). The archaeological assessment identified no archaeological sites or other historic properties on the Rice Property. The existing structure dates from the 1960s or 1970s and has no historic or architectural value. The archaeological assessment has been submitted to the State Historic Preservation Division(SHPD),which is expected to concur with the findings of the archaeologist that the project would have no adverse effect on historic properties. The Final EA will document correspondence with SHPD. In the unlikely event that archaeological resources or human remains are encountered during future development activities within the current study area,work in the immediate area of the discovery should be halted and DLNR-SHPD contacted as outlined in Hawaii Administrative Rules 13§13-275-12. 3.3 Infrastructure 3.3.1 Utilities Existing Facilities and Services and Impacts Electrical power to the site is supplied by Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO),a privately owned utility company regulated by the State Public Utilities Commission,via their island-wide distribution network. Telephone service is available from Hawaiian Telcom. The single-family residence has a cesspool.An existing 4-inch waterline provides water service from the Hawaii 14 Environmental Assessment, Hawai`i County Purchase of Rice Property at Waipi b Lookout